Pieces of Ourselves
Asynchronous Session
Loss of National Manhood?: Gendered Narratives about Exiles of the Russian-Ukrainian War in Georgia View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Gvantsa Gasviani
How have Russian exiles fleeing the Russian-Ukrainian War to the country of Georgia negotiated and constructed gender identities, and how do these changes impact heteropatriarchal state structures? While much public attention has been drawn to the Western theater of the war and Ukrainian refugees, I focus specifically on Russian draft dodgers and conscientious objectors who fled their homeland, resisting President Vladimir Putin’s regime. Upon arrival, Russian migrants, especially male exiles, are questioned not only for their loyalty to anti-war resistance but for their own gender as well. Their masculinity comes into question because a number of host societies believe that Russians should be fighting Putin’s regime from the inside instead of running away. This project enquires what it means to be a cultural outsider in a post-Soviet country that does not trust ethnic Russians, especially given the current occupation of two Georgian territories by the Russian army.
Soft Power of the Eagle and the Dragon: Hegemonic Structures of a New World Order View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Angie Hesham
The objective of soft power holds important ramifications for the study of hegemony and predictions about the US's continued dominance and China's ascent to prominence. This paper argues that by acknowledging the significance of "soft power," hegemony in the international system can be better understood whilst using the United States and China as case studies. The US is a prime example of how 'soft power' can help a state prevent decline through consensus and alliance formation, however the US has neglected it as a sustaining capability for hegemony. As a result, China is growing and nurturing its' soft power' capabilities in order to create an image of a benevolent superpower. The primary focus of this debate is concerned with the real decline of US military supremacy as a result of its failures in the ME, Vietnam, Balkans, Somalia. The perceived decline of the US economic dominance has been linked to China's playing- catch-up, and the US's costly military overreach around the globe. Many haven't only supported the US's hegemonic collapse, but they have also been eager to highlight China's increasing economic dominance and trading superiority over the US. The US actions, alliances, in the international community, in contrast to China's unmatched growth, demonstrate that soft power can also be an underlying guiding force that attracts, influences, and manipulates other people's actions more successfully than economic military hard power. Rising anti-American sentiments ideological conflict between the US and the rest of the world deepens, the significance of soft power becomes prominent.
Beyond Dichotomies: Revisiting China’s Belt and Road Initiative from Domestic and International Perspectives View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Zhengqi Pan
The rise of China in the global arena is best epitomized by its expansive Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which stretches over four continents and involves substantial infrastructure investments totaling billions of dollars. While critics describe the BRI as a form of economic imperialism, aiming to indebt countries for China’s strategic advantage, supporters contend that it reflects China’s commitment to constructive leadership by mitigating infrastructure gaps in the Global South, where most of the BRI countries are situated. However, these arguments are often simplistic, casting China as either a predatory force or a benevolent great power, neglecting the complex intricacies of China’s foreign policy and the broader dynamics of international relations. This paper aims to bridge this divide by delving into the intricate domestic and international dynamics underpinning the BRI, employing a comprehensive review of secondary source materials. Specifically, it critically examines the domestic politico-economic drivers within China and the BRI countries in the Global South, alongside prevailing megatrends in the international political economy, such as the Sino-American rivalry and the pursuit of strategic and pragmatic economic development by various countries around the world. Moreover, the BRI is a highly fragmented and diverse initiative, even a decade after its inception, rather than a monolithic grand strategy aimed at subverting the existing liberal world order. This study further posits that short of forceful containment and isolation by the West, China would likely navigate within the established international framework, which has facilitated its rise and prosperity since 1978.
